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Today we have one of the longest First Readings that we have
in the entire lectionary. It is the 13th
Chapter, a long chapter, from the book of the Prophet Daniel. It is almost 60 verses long. It is the story of this beautiful, faithful
woman, Susanna, who is falsely accused by two corrupt evil old men, who wanted
to have their way with her. Lying to
protect themselves the two wicked elders seek to have Susanna put to death.
Then Daniel steps in, advocates for her: and the two corrupt
judges were convicted and Susanna goes free.
As I mentioned last week, our scripture readings for the
last part of Lent point not so much to Lenten penances that we are to
undertake, but to Christ—they help us prepare to understand what happens as
Jesus is arrested, tortured, put to death, and is raised.
How does the Susanna story point to Christ? Who is Christ in
the story? In a sense he is Susanna: beautiful, faithful, innocent, arrested
because of the words of corrupt elders.
And though he suffers humiliation, torture, revilement,
mockery, suffering, and death, he is exonerated, and vindicated by God, as
Susanna was by Daniel, when he is Resurrected.
His Father testifies on Christ’s behalf, as we heard in the Gospel, when
Jesus is raised from the dead.
At the end of the first reading, we heard how “the whole
assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those who hope in him.” Not only is Jesus foreshadowed in the Susanna
reading, but his body the Church as well.
We are that assembly who now cries out, blessing God who saves those who
hope in him.
In the beautiful, and well-known responsorial Psalm, we
proclaimed: “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are
at my side”. Susanna showed her
fearlessness as she went through her dark valley, as she trusted in God. Jesus will
show himself to be Fearless as he went through his dark valley, during the
events of Holy Week. And we learn from their example, what it means to be
people of hope.
This Lent should have toughed us up a bit, going into the
desert should always do that. It should have toughened us up against the
temptations of the flesh, which we resisted through our Lenten Penances. And it
should also be strengthening our resolve that the same Spirit of Jesus who
endures so much suffering, so much darkness, faithfully during Holy Week,
dwells within us.
That no matter the darkness we face, we do so with Christ at
our side, in our hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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